Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are determines whether a vehicle is an electric bicycle or an electric motorbike for the purposes of (1) sales of such vehicles, and (2) whether they can be ridden on public roads;and what are the penalties for retailers who provide inaccurate descriptions of the legal status of the bikes they sell.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983, amended in 2015, set out the requirements that electric bicycles or e-cycles must satisfy if they are not to be treated as motor vehicles when used on cycle paths and public roads in Great Britain. Electric bikes which do not meet these requirements are treated as motor vehicles, and where this is the case, manufacturers must ensure that their vehicles are type approved; importers and retailers must ensure that type approval has been obtained; riders must hold a licence and wear an approved motorcycle helmet; and the vehicle must be registered, taxed, and insured. Retailers must not sell high-powered electric bikes which are not type-approved. Those that do so can be subject to prosecution and criminal conviction in court, or can face a civil penalty issued by DVSA of up to £50,000 per offence, as set out in The Motorcycles (Type Approval) Regulations 2018.

Alternative Fuels

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to develop a low carbon fuels strategy.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, we are committed to developing a low carbon fuel strategy for the period up to 2050 for publication this year. As a first step in the process, we published a Call for Ideas on 7 February 2022 inviting views on how to support further investments in the low carbon fuel sector. The call for ideas closed on 3 April 2022 and we are carefully analysing all responses received.

Railways: Portsmouth

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with South Western Railway about reverting to providing two fast train services per hour each way between Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour; and when they expect this will happen.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: There are currently no plans to reintroduce the second fast service between Portsmouth Harbour and London Waterloo as current demand does not warrant a return of that service. The Department and South West Railway (SWR) will continue to monitor capacity and demand levels on this line and across the network.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether vehicle-to-grid charging provision is (1) expected as part of, or (2) will be prioritised in the funding for, the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pilots.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The £10 million pilot for the Local EV Infrastructure fund is technology agnostic and encourages local authorities to provide EV charging proposals that are technically and/or commercially innovative in their approach. Proposals will be prioritised that best meet the assessment criteria, which include innovation and value for money. If a proposal includes vehicle to grid technology and is able to demonstrate strong attributes across the assessment criteria compared to other applications, it stands a good chance in the LEVI pilot competition. The assessment criteria are being tested as part of the pilot.In addition to the Local EV Infrastructure pilots, the Government has recently announced an £11.4 million V2X Innovation Programme, aimed at addressing barriers to enabling energy flexibility from bi-directional electric vehicle charging.

Rolling Stock: East Midlands

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the using British Rail Class 222 units from the Midland Main Line to add services to the principal stations in (1) the East Midlands, (2) Lincoln, (3) Nottingham, (4) Derby, (5) Leicester, and (6) Birmingham; and what conversations they have had with Midlands Connect about such a change.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: No formal assessments have occurred regarding the Class 222s being used for additional services in the East Midlands after the full introduction of new Class 810s. We currently expect that, after the future planned fleet introductions and cascades, EMR will have sufficient and appropriate rolling stock to meet its post-Covid service requirements, although we will keep this under constant review.

Electric Scooters: Safety

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by PACTS The Safety of Private E-scooters in the UK, published on 19 March; and what steps they will take in response to itsrecommendations on the safety of e-scooters.

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they willpublish the data from the e-scooter trials before reaching conclusions on their policy on e-scooters.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department for Transport recognises the need to address concerns relating to e-scooter safety. My officials are in regular contact with PACTS and we are considering options for how best to regulate e-scooters to improve safety and crack down on their illegal use.These options are being informed by evidence from national trials of rental e-scooters and wider sources, including data from STATS19, international comparisons, academic studies and the PACTS reports. A report summarising findings from the evaluation of e-scooter trials is due to be published in late spring 2022.The Department will consult on new regulations for e-scooters before any are introduced. However, as primary legislation will be required, we cannot commit to a more specific timetable.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

EGNOS: Cost Effectiveness and Impact Assessments

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) an impact assessment, and (2) value for money assessment, on the role of EGNOS in the UK was undertaken prior to 31 December 2020; and if so, whether they will place copies in the Library of the House.

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings with the (1) Civil Aviation Authority, and (2) UK Space Agency, were held with (a) ministers, and (b) officials, in (i) the Department for Transport, and (ii) the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to discuss the role of EGNOS in the UK prior to 31 December 2020.

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement took place with the (1) aviation, (2) maritime, (3) agricultural, and (4) chartered surveying industries, to assess the role of EGNOS in the UK prior to 31 December 2020.

Lord Callanan: The Department did engage with both internal and external stakeholders on the decision not to participate. It would not be appropriate for the Department to comment on any value for money assessment given the ongoing commercial sensitivity around EU Space Programmes.

Business: Natural Gas

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to providecommercial incentives to businesses willing to reduce their gas use at certain times.

Lord Callanan: Gas industry representatives cooperatively developed the Demand Side Response tool which encourages Daily Metered (DM) consumers – usually large industrial users – to offer to reduce their gas demand during times of system stress, in return for payment. This tool has the potential for DM users to protect their most critical loads, minimise costs, and may reduce the likelihood of a supply emergency.

Energy: Reform

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reform the energy markets so that consumers’ bills are less dependent on global gas prices.

Lord Callanan: In the recently announced Energy Security Strategy, the Government set out plans to boost Britain’s energy security and reduce dependence on power sources, exposed to volatile international prices, that the Government cannot control. This will allow greater self-sufficiency, with cheaper bills.

Manufacturing Industries: Iron and Steel

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the steel used in the UK manufacturing industry was produced (1) in the UK, (2) in the EU, and (3) in the rest of the world, in the last year for which figures are available.

Lord Callanan: We are unable to identify the country of origin for steel used in the UK manufacturing industry specifically. In 2020, the UK consumed 9.0mt of finished steel (World Steel Association report, copy attached). According to the International Steel Statistics Bureau, 50% was sourced from UK producers. The remaining 50% was imported from foreign producers. Based on import data, we estimate the following proportions for the regions below:The EU: 35%The Rest of the World: 15%According to the Future Capacities and Capabilities of the UK Steel Industry (attached), c.20% of the demand for finished steel products in 2015 was for manufacturing (defined as automotive, machinery & engineering, and packaging).World Steel Association report (pdf, 1732.9KB)Future Capacities/Capabilities, UK Steel Industry  (pdf, 6494.7KB)

Department of Health and Social Care

Dementia: Health Services

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures the dementia strategy will include to improve patient access to (1) FDG-PET scans, and (2) CSF tests, for an early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Lord Kamall: We will set out plans for dementia in England, which will include a focus on dementia diagnosis, later this year.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for health and care, including on assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers. NICE’s guideline Dementia: assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers states that clinicians should consider FDG-PET and CSF tests when the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is uncertain. A copy of the guideline is attached.Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) commission the appropriate resources, including such testing, in line with local population health needs. To address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses, NHS England and NHS Improvement was allocated £17 million through the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement for mental health in 2021/22. This funding was made available to CCGs in June 2021.Dementia: assessment, management and support  (pdf, 221.1KB)

Dementia: Clinical Trials

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to improve the (1) approval, and (2) set-up processes, for dementia trials.

Lord Kamall: The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery: 2021 to 2022 Implementation Plan sets out our commitments to improve study approval and set-up processes. This states that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the UK Research Ethics Services plan to implement a combined review of clinical trials to improve study approval. It aims to deliver a streamlined and efficient approval process through a single application route and a coordinated review. We also plan to introduce a National Contract Value Review to accelerate commercial research studies in the National Health Service. While the Implementation Plan is not specific to any disease area, it aims to benefit the research system, including trials for dementia. A copy of the Implementation Plan is attached.We are reviewing ways to increase research for dementia and we will set out these ambitions in the forthcoming dementia strategy, which will be published later this year.The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery: 2021  (pdf, 368.3KB)

Skin Diseases: Diagnosis

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of GP surgeries asking patients to email a photograph of their skin conditions.

Lord Kamall: No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement work with NHS Digital to ensure that the digital tools used within primary care enable patients to access care from general practitioner (GP) practices which meet their clinical needs and support accessibility, inclusivity and take account of the patient’s preference. The functionality of digital products is assessed nationally via procurement frameworks, which consider information governance, clinical safety and cyber security before products are approved. Images sent to practices from patients must be stored in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation and in line with the storage and management policy for all patient data. NHS England and NHS Improvement strongly encourage practices and commissioners to use an approved and assured digital product to communicate with patients and to facilitate sending pictures. The request, receipt and use of images must be guided by the principle of the interests of the patient and assessed on a case by case basis. The practice should determine whether to request an image from a patient and whether this would be clinically appropriate to support providing care, reaching a diagnosis or deciding what further care should be provided, depending on the needs of the patient. Practices should also consider the patient’s non-medical circumstances and preferences when making this decision.

Tongue-tie

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to reinstating routine tongue-tie checks for newborn babies.

Lord Kamall: While there is no specific national screening programme or requirement for routinely checking for tongue-tie in newborn babies, where there are difficulties with breast feeding, it is a factor to be considered by health professionals. The Healthy Child Programme will be updated later this year to include guidance on supporting families to connect with services to manage the condition.We have also recently announced £50 million to improve breastfeeding support. Local authorities will have flexibility in deciding how this funding is used to support families. This may include investing in staff training to discuss additional needs, such as tongue-tie or challenges with lactation and ensuring timely support and treatment is available and accessible.

Health Services: LGBT+ People

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Kamall on 28 March (HL7110), given that the TransActual UK Trans lives survey 2021: Enduring the UK's hostile environment was not referring to transition treatments, but to general physical and mental health care, what progress they have made in addressing these issues.

Lord Kamall: The Department is working with the national LGBT health advisor to improve healthcare for transgender people, including the development of improved guidance for general practitioners (GPs). This will assist GPs to improve the understanding and delivery of the transgender populations’ specific healthcare needs.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Kamall on 30 March (HL7298), what plans they have to request that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) carry out an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of further vaccinating 50–64-year-olds in light of the high cases of COVID-19.

Lord Kamall: The Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation has provided its advice on the cohorts which should be recommended for the flu vaccine in the 2022/23 flu vaccination programme. There are no current plans to carry out a further cost-effectiveness analysis.

Gender Recognition: Health Services

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of NHS leaders at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool Women's Hospital, and others, (1) criticising, and (2) planning to ignore, the EHRC guidance on transgender women and access to female-only spaces.

Lord Kamall: No specific assessment has been made. NHS England’s guidance Delivering same-sex accommodation is currently under review. We are working with NHS England to ensure that the privacy, dignity and safety of all patients is protected. Any updated guidance will adhere to relevant equalities legislation.

Prescription Drugs: Coronavirus

Baroness Rawlings: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contractual arrangements they have, if any, with pharmaceutical companies that prevent the sale of antiviral drugs for COVID-19 by private clinicians.

Baroness Rawlings: To ask Her Majesty's Government what legislation requires Public Health England to provide antiviral treatments for COVID-19 to only those people with particular health conditions.

Lord Kamall: The pharmaceutical companies producing antivirals have not made these treatments commercially available to the private health care sector in the United Kingdom. These products have been procured by the Department and are only available through the National Health Service.The Department has agreed contracts with MSD and Pfizer to ensure that the UK has sufficient antiviral medication to treat those who are likely to benefit. There is no legislation which sets out the patient cohorts to receive antiviral treatments for COVID-19. Clinically eligible cohorts have been determined by an independent expert group commissioned by the Department and included in a clinical policy agreed by the UK Chief Medical Officers.

Health Services

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had regarding the provision of (1) hearing aids, (2) stop smoking services, and (3) treatment for hypertension, to (a) reduce dementia risk, and (b) promote brain health.

Lord Kamall: There have been no specific discussions. However, the Department is preparing a new dementia strategy, which will include a focus on prevention and risk reduction. As part of this work, in December 2021 the Department had discussions with the British Academy of Audiology on hearing loss as a risk factor for dementia.

Protective Clothing: Carers

Lord Framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make the PPE that is no longer needed by the NHS available to carers.

Lord Kamall: In England, carers are eligible to receive personal protective equipment (PPE) through the online PPE Portal. Carers can register on the Portal to order free PPE until the end of March 2023 or until the relevant guidance is withdrawn or significantly modified. In addition, some local authorities and Local Resilience Forums also distribute PPE to carers in their local areas.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are stockpiling COVID-19 tests in advance of any new variant becoming prevalent; and if so, whether they will be in a position to reinstate free tests for the public in such circumstances.

Lord Kamall: The Government has retained the ability to reinstate widespread COVID-19 testing in the event of a new, serious variant. This includes a stock of lateral flow device tests and increasing testing capacity in laboratories and delivery channels. A decision on how these contingency arrangements would be used and who would be provided with free tests, would be made in view of the circumstances and the risks posed by the variant.

General Practitioners: Complaints

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how patients can appeal theoutcome of complaints against GPs in England.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether patients can use the services of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution when they do not accept the findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government why in England the process to complain about GPs differs from the process to complain about doctors in hospitals.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether complaints about GPs in England can go to mediation.

Lord Kamall: The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 governs the National Health Service complaints system. Under the Regulations, those who wish to raise a complaint should raise it with the provider or the commissioner of that service. If the complainant is unsatisfied with the response received, they can escalate their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who will make a final decision. The Regulations do not describe a role for the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution or for mediation.Patients can raise concerns directly with the General Medical Council (GMC) if the complaint relates to a doctor, including general practitioners, rather than the operation of a service such as the practice or another health care professional. The GMC’s online complaint form states which matters it can investigate.

Coronavirus: Databases

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of the projects that have been given access to the Palantir Foundry parts of NHS England’s COVID-19 Data Store.

Lord Kamall: Palantir provide the National Health Service with a software platform for the secure, reliable and timely processing of data. Within the platform, NHS analysts have developed dashboards, forecasts and planning tools, using de-identified data. These are known as use cases, which are as follows: The Strategic Decision-Makers Dashboard, which provides a unified dashboard to assist executives across the health and care system to coordinate the national response to COVID-19; The Recovery of Critical Services Dashboard supports service recovery planning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; The Early Warning System forecasts COVID-19 patient admissions and types of bed capacity three weeks in advance; The Supply Management Capability provides tools to manage the supply and demand of classification resources such as personal protective equipment, ventilation and oxygen equipment and intensive care unit consumables, supporting end-to-end management of these resources; The Immunisation and Vaccination Management Capability enables the end-to-end management of the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme; and The Trust Care Coordination Solution provides trusts with functionality and modules to cleanse elective waiting lists and optimise theatre scheduling and capacity.

Diabetes: Medical Treatments

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the status of the forthcoming medicines update of the NG28 Type 2 Diabetes Guideline; and how long it will take for updated guidance to be produced.

Lord Kamall: The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the updated guidance Type 2 diabetes in adults: management on 31 March 2022. A copy of the guidance is attached. NICE made new recommendations on the use of medicines for adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease in November 2021 and for adults with type 2 diabetes in February 2022. NICE is also updating its recommendations on medicines for type 2 diabetes in children and young people and expects to publish updated guidance in January 2024.Type 2 diabetes in adults: management  (pdf, 278.5KB)

Preventive Medicine: Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have had discussions with any country which is protecting the clinically extremely vulnerable by making pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) available to these individuals; and, if so, which countries they have had those discussions with.

Lord Kamall: The Department’s Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce is evaluating the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis and how it could be deployed in the United Kingdom. We have recently engaged with the United States of America on a bilateral basis and discussed with Singapore and Israel during a UK Health Security Agency international forum. These discussions have provided an understanding of the experiences of these countries for the clinical and logistic application of pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Kamall on 1 March (HL6395), what assessment they have made of the number of women who (1) have undergone a formal cancer risk assessment, and (2) have been identified as having dense breasts.

Lord Kamall: No specific assessment has been made as there is currently no formal cancer risk assessment for all women. However, the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme identifies those in the population with an increased risk of developing this cancer. Breast density is not currently identified during screening.The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is aware that breast density is related to these risks and will review evidence to risk-stratify women when it becomes available. In England, there are several trials ongoing designed to assess the efficacy of risk-stratifying women into categories and offering differing screening modalities, chemoprevention and screening intervals to determine whether personalised screening protocols would benefit women in England. If found to be efficacious, the UK NSC will determine if the research provides conclusive evidence to recommend changes to the breast screening pathway.

Department for Education

Pupils: Afghanistan

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Afghan children are currently in school in the UK; and how many are waiting for a place in education.

Baroness Barran: All school aged children who arrived as part of the Operation Pitting airlift from Afghanistan are now in school. Those children who have arrived since then are either in school, or being placed in schools, as quickly as possible. We continue to monitor the position in local authorities with bridging hotels. All are continuing with the process of placing children in schools and none have reported problems with doing so. However, they are at different stages in the process depending on the date of new arrivals.

National Curriculum Tests

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the results of the poll undertaken by Parentkind, published in March; in particular, what assessment they have made of the findings that (1) 86 per cent of parents do not consider SAT results as important when choosing a school for their child, with 70 per cent not looking into a prospective school’s SAT results at all, (2) 95 per cent of parents reported that SATs had a negative impact on their children’s wellbeing, and (3) 89 per cent of parents would support SATs being replaced by an alternative measure, such as ongoing teacher assessment, checked by external monitors.

Baroness Barran: Key stage 2 (KS2) assessments are important as they enable parents and schools to understand pupil achievements in relation to age-related attainment expectations outlined in the national curriculum and help teachers identify pupils who need the most support.Furthermore, school performance measures from these assessments play an important role in supporting schools to improve, as well as helping parents when choosing schools for their child. The department remains committed to having a broad range of school performance measures at KS2.Research conducted by University College London Institute of Education found that there was ‘little evidence to changes in [pupil] wellbeing around the time of key stage 2 tests, or that children in England become happier – either in general or about school – once these tests are over’. Nevertheless, although schools should encourage pupils to work hard and achieve well, we do not recommend that they devote excessive preparation time to assessment, and certainly not at the expense of pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. We trust schools to administer assessments in the appropriate way.Formative teacher assessment informs teaching and has a crucial role in supporting pupils to progress and achieve their full potential. In certain instances, such as English writing, it is used currently as part of school accountability measures. The introduction of teacher assessment for all primary assessment would, however, likely introduce an additional burden for schools that would not be conducive to the department’s aim of reducing teacher workload. Also of relevance are the views of Ofqual, the regulator for qualifications, examinations and assessments in England, on teacher assessment and moderation in primary assessment. They state that although ‘teacher assessment can be a highly valid and effective approach to assessment, where it informs school accountability measures this can place pressure both on the assessment and also on the teachers being asked to make the judgements’.The department currently has no plans to replace KS2 assessments with an alternative measure.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Accommodation

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners are currently being held (1) three to a cell designed for one, and (2) two to a cell designed for one, in each prison.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Prison cell occupancy is certified by the Prison Group Director (PGD) in accordance with Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 17/2012, which provides guidelines for determining cell capacities. Cells are only shared where a PGD has assessed them to be of an adequate size and condition. In addition, they must have adequate lighting, heating, ventilation and fittings, have 24-hour access to water and sanitation, and allow prisoners to communicate at any time with a prison officer. These standards ensure that prisoners are always accommodated safely.The Government is investing £3.8 billion over the next three years to deliver 20,000 new prison places. These additional prison places will have a positive impact on lowering the proportion of crowding within the prison estate by providing accommodation that is safe, decent and uncrowded.Data on prison crowding is published annually in the HMPPS Annual Digest.The 2020/21 Annual Digest shows that, across the year ending in March 2021, 15,941 prisoners were housed in crowded accommodation. Of these, 15,589 were housed in double cells originally designed for one person, and a further 259 were housed in triple cells designed for two people. The remaining 93 were recorded in a miscellaneous category. This category may include those housed in triple cells originally designed for one but will also include those in higher occupancy accommodation designed for fewer people (i.e., 6 people in a room/dormitory designed for 5).

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Nagorno Karabakh: Russia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with thegovernment of Russia to remind that country about the duty on its peace-keeping forces to prevent (1) attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenia, (2) cease-fire violations, and (3) attempts by Azerbaijan to intimidate residents of Nagorno-Karabakh into leaving their homes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has had no conversations with the Government of Russia regarding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, following its invasion of Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the United Nations special rapporteurs on 26 January regarding the cases of Jaafar Sultan and Sadiq Majeed Thamer who are on death row in Saudi Arabia, whatrepresentations they will make to the government of Saudi Arabia in support of the quashing of their death sentences.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The United Kingdom strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. The Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Ahmad raised UK concerns about the death penalty, including individual cases, with the Saudi Justice Minister on 25 January. The Prime Minister also raised UK concerns about ongoing human rights issues during his visit to the Kingdom on 16 March. Ministers and senior officials will continue to raise UK concerns about the death penalty with the Saudi authorities.

Ministry of Defence

Warships: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the refreshed Shipbuilding Strategy intends to (1) enhance, and (2) grow, the UK ship repair capability.

Baroness Goldie: The National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh sets out a vision that by 2030, we will be a globally successful, innovative and sustainable UK shipbuilding enterprise. Ship repair is a key part of this enterprise and the Refresh aims to tackle barriers to growth, further develop our capability and support the creation of skilled jobs across the UK shipbuilding enterprise.

Navy: Guided Weapons

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in view of the war in Ukraine, whether they have re-assessed the gap in Royal Navy surface to surface missile capability.

Baroness Goldie: We continue to scope options for the Royal Navy's next surface to surface guided weapon system, alongside wider lethality requirements, to allow us to deliver on the commitments outlined in the Integrated Review. No final decisions have yet been made. This position has not altered as a result of the war in Ukraine.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries: Finance

Lord Krebs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what new financial support they will allocate to support building a (1) sustainable, (2) low carbon, fishing industry.

Lord Benyon: The £100 million UK Seafood Fund has been carefully crafted to support projects that will support the long-term viability of the sector. This is being done through all four elements, infrastructure, science and innovation, skills and training, and exports. Additionally, one of the UK Seafood Fund’s overarching objectives is to increase environmental sustainability. It is one of the mandatory criteria that applicants must cover if applying under the Infrastructure pillar. Funding is also available to enable each of the devolved administrations to deliver their own grant funding schemes. The scheme for England – the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme – has driven meaningful change to increase sustainability, provide world-class fisheries management and support a thriving marine environment. The Marine Management Organisation is looking to relaunch the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme this month. The new iteration of the scheme will continue to deliver investment to safeguard the long-term sustainability, resilience and prosperity of the seafood sector across England. It will include support for projects that limit carbon emissions, reduce the environmental impact of fishing, enable the collection of marine litter, and deliver professional advice for seafood businesses on environmental sustainability.

Dairy Farming

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the dairy sector in England.

Lord Benyon: Global gas prices have a major impact on agricultural commodities. We are very aware of the significant turbulence in international commodity markets following Russian's invasion of Ukraine and are closely monitoring the market situation.The Government does not underestimate the level of pressure that our dairy farmers are facing. While substantial increases in farmgate milk prices paid by milk purchasers are helping dairy farmers to offset increased input costs and to maintain production, we are aware that input cost pressures are leading to a period of significant uncertainty and adjustment across the sector.The Government has recently announced steps to assist farmers with the availability of fertilisers for the coming growing season to help address uncertainty amongst growers and keep costs down for farmers. These include delays to changes to the use of urea; revised and improved statutory guidance on the use of slurry; and the publication of further details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. The Government has announced that it will pay farmers to help with the costs of sowing nitrogen fixing plants and green manures to reduce dependence on manufactured fertilisers, and that farmers will be further supported through new slurry storage grants.On 31 March, Minister Prentis hosted the first meeting of the Fertiliser Roundtable with key industry bodies to discuss potential mitigations to the challenges which global supply pressures are causing. Ministers will continue to meet with key industry bodies for further fertiliser round-table sessions in the coming months, to help identify and mitigate potential risksWe are working closely with the industry to identify where mitigations are available to the challenges they face. We continue to keep the market situation under review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. We have also increased our engagement with industry to supplement our analysis with real time intelligence.

Palm Oil

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of domestic demand for palm oil as a result of (1) disturbances to agricultural production in Ukraine, and (2) restrictions to imports from Russia.

Lord Benyon: The world’s leading vegetable oil is palm oil. However, several other oils are often used by the food manufacturing industry. Many UK manufacturers use sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil in their products. Ukraine is a major producer of sunflower and oil seed rape, supply of which is threatened by the current situation in that region. However, the UK has a highly resilient food supply chain – which has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges. We remain in regular contact with major grain traders, manufacturers and food retailers to understand the impacts of global events on supply chains and to ensure the highest possible standards for our food products. At the moment supermarkets are reporting product availability for many different oils and food industry figures remain confident in the supply chain to adjust to any changes in ingredients which may be necessary.

Food: Shortages

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to enable the food and drink industry to use safe, alternative products where ingredients become unavailable due to shortages in world markets.

Lord Benyon: We are acutely aware of food supply chain disruption due to the current conflict in Ukraine with particular regard to sunflower oil. The food industry has been faced with the need to reformulate products at short notice to maintain food supply. As it is not always possible to reflect this on product labelling in the immediate term, we have put in place measures to help support industry while they adjust product labelling. Defra has been working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Department of Health and Social Care to consider approaches to help maintain food supply in a way that is safe and in the interests of consumers. Use of refined rapeseed oil as an alternative to sunflower oil was an immediate priority. Defra worked with the FSA which carried out a risk assessment on substituting sunflower oil with refined rapeseed oil without this being reflected on the label, which concluded that the safety risks are very low. Subsequently, the FSA and FSS wrote to enforcement authorities regarding the substitution of sunflower oil with refined rapeseed oil, encouraging them to adopt an enforcement approach to labelling that is reasonable, proportionate, risk-based and considered on a case-by-case basis. We are currently considering proposals for the use of other vegetable oils as replacements for sunflower oil due to the additional pressure that has been placed on refined rapeseed oil. A fundamental principle of the Government’s approach, and where pragmatic and proportionate enforcement has been encouraged, is that consumer safety must be protected. Businesses are being encouraged to take all possible steps to bring their labels in to compliance as quickly as possible, and retaining consumer trust remains an absolute priority for the Government.

Food: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of (1) theavailability of kosher food in Northern Ireland, and (2) the restrictions imposed by the provisions of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, when fully implemented, on the movement of kosher food from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Lord Benyon: We recognise the importance of ensuring the Jewish community in Northern Ireland can continue to access kosher meats. We have been made aware that a supplier decided to stop supplying kosher meat to Northern Ireland. They explained that this was owing to difficulty for them complying with the Official Controls Regulation which applies in Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol. We have been working with those concerned to identify alternative options. An alternative GB supplier of kosher meats has now been identified. Goods moving from GB-NI would not need any certification under the proposal set out in the Government’s July 2021 Command Paper, Northern Ireland Protocol – the way forward.

Food: Production

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage more home grown food production; and what assessment they have made of whether a policy akin to theDig for Victory campaign during World War 2 would be effective.

Lord Benyon: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year. These figures have changed little over the last 20 years. Strong domestic food production is an important factor in our food security. The UK enjoys considerable self-sufficiency in food, with production to supply ratios of nearly 100 percent in poultry, carrots and swedes, and we also produce 88% of all the cereals that we need. In addition, UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply. The Government is also supporting farmers in England to become more efficient and has recently awarded grants of £48.5 million through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, helping boost productivity at this critical time. Recognising the importance of food production, the Government has set out a legal obligation on the Government to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. It recognised the contribution made by British farmers to our resilience, and the importance of strong domestic production to our food security. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work. With regard to the Noble Lord’s question on Dig for Victory, the Government is not considering the introduction of this type of mass civilian food production campaign at this time. However, the Government has recently announced a number of steps it is taking to support farmers ahead of the growing season. Farmers are facing rising costs in inputs, including manufactured fertiliser prices, which we know has an impact on the productivity and profit of farms in this country. The Government’s measures include new slurry guidance and new slurry storage grants, a delay in planned changes to urea usage, and further details of the early rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive and opening of more farming grants worth more than £20 million to support farming R&D and productivity. The Government will also continue to work with farmers and growers, including through a newly created fertiliser roundtable, to identify solutions and better understanding of current pressures on farmers.

Dairy Farming

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made on the impact of supply chain inflation on the English dairy sector’s productive capacity.

Lord Benyon: The supply chain inflation seen in the dairy sector in recent months, driven significantly by increased global gas prices, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the consequential increase in costs for feed, fuel and fertilisers has created challenges across our dairy and wider food and farming sectors.It is too early to understand the impact of increased input costs on the longer-term productive capacity of the dairy sector. While farmers have recently seen a substantial increase in the farm gate milk price that they receive, helping them to offset their increased input costs and to maintain production, we are aware that input cost pressures are leading to a period of significant uncertainty and adjustment across the sector.The sector operates in an open market and the value of dairy commodities, including the farm gate milk price, is established by those in the supply chain - including farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. Defra will continue to work closely with industry to monitor and understand evolving market developments, including dairy production trends.

British Overseas Territories: Coral Reefs

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they have given to each of the UK's Overseas Territories in the Caribbean to treat stony coral tissue loss disease in the last two years.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government has been working very closely with our Overseas Territories (OTs) in the Caribbean in response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), including a Collaborative Coral Reef Working Group which has supported local and regional collaboration between Caribbean OTs. The following funding has been provided to each of the UK OTs in the Caribbean for the treatment and management of SCTLD: Over 2020-2022, £208,608 was provided to the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI): £108,608 for disease treatment and £100,000 to pilot a collaborative working group with the Caribbean OTs. The collaborative working group includes training and equipment provisions within UK OTs for SCTLD. In 2020/2021, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) received £75,000 for SCTLD via the Conflict, Stability and Security (CSSF) Fund. In 2021/2022, the UK Government provided further funding across the OTs for coral reef monitoring and SCTLD management. This included £102,000 to the TCI, the BVI, and the Cayman Islands, £92,000 to Anguilla, and £91,000 to Montserrat.

British Overseas Territories: Coral Reefs

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with non-governmental organisations working in the UK's Overseas Territories about the treatment of stony coral tissue loss disease.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government has been working closely with our Overseas Territories (OTs) in the Caribbean in response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD). In 2020/2021, the UK Government provided £100,000 to pilot a collaborative working group with the Caribbean OTs. This group actively welcomes input from OT government representatives, non-governmental organisation (NGOs) and other key stakeholders such as dive operators and field study centres involved in coral conservation and SCTLD treatment. This group has met at least once a month since December 2020 to discuss all aspects of SCTLD, including treatment and management options. The funding of this group is now secured through a three year £497,000 Darwin Plus grant that started in June 2021 and ends in March 2024. Direct funding through this grant is provided to OT government partners, including NGOs, who are directly supporting the treatment efforts in-country. Notably, for this Darwin Plus grant, the Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources in the Turks and Caicos Islands are funding the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund, and the Ministry of Natural Resources in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are partnering with the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands. Over the last two years, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, the UK Government has also funded NGOs to deliver work on behalf of, or alongside governments, to implement SCTLD treatment. This has included discussions on treatment. Agreements have been put in place to formalise these arrangements following discussions with OT government departments in Bermuda, BVI and Montserrat.

Fisheries

Lord Cameron of Dillington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take, if any, to meet the Fisheries Act 2020 ecosystem objective, particularly the monitoring and mitigation of sensitive species by catch, in the absence of substantial observer coverage and Remote Electronic Monitoring onboard English fishing vessels.

Lord Benyon: We recognise that accidental bycatch in fisheries is one of the greatest threats faced by sensitive marine species such as dolphins and seabirds, and we remain fully committed to tackling this issue. The way the “ecosystem” and “bycatch” objectives in the Fisheries Act 2020 will be delivered through policies across the UK has been set out in the draft Joint Fisheries Statement, which is out for public consultation until 12 April. Since 2020, Defra has funded Clean Catch UK, a research programme which is developing and trialling a range of bycatch monitoring and mitigation measures in Cornwall (a known high-risk area for sensitive species bycatch). This programme has developed a bycatch self-reporting mobile application validated by observers and electronic monitoring and an online ‘Bycatch Mitigation Hub’ with information on different approaches to reduce bycatch. In addition, we are working with the fishing industry to trial various innovative technologies to reduce cetacean bycatch. The government will continue to build on the work of Clean Catch to improve our understanding of bycatch and implement effective mitigation measures to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch. The UK government funds a comprehensive and well-respected bycatch monitoring programme which provides essential observer data on incidents of sensitive species bycatch. The programme focuses primarily on gear types with a high expected or known risk of sensitive species bycatch. A new contract for the bycatch monitoring programme is expected to begin in April 2022.

Fertilisers and Fuels: Prices

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they will take to support farmers with increased fertiliser and fuel costs.

Lord Benyon: We are very aware of the significant turbulence in international commodity markets following Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and are closely monitoring the market situation. Agricultural commodity prices have always been strongly correlated to the price of energy. Farmers face the challenge of rising inputs costs, particularly fertiliser costs, due to the sharp increase in the price of gas. The solution will require us to pioneer new technologies to manufacture more organic based fertiliser products, and to rediscover traditional, more established techniques such as using nitrogen fixing legumes and clovers as an alternative to fertiliser. The Government has recently announced steps to assist farmers with the availability of fertilisers for the coming growing season to help address uncertainty amongst growers and keep costs down for farmers. These include delays to changes to the use of urea; revised and improved statutory guidance on the use of slurry; and the publication of further details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. The Government has announced that it will pay farmers to help with the costs of sowing nitrogen fixing plants and green manures to reduce dependence on manufactured fertilisers, and that farmers will be further supported through new slurry storage grants. We recognise that fertiliser pressures on the livestock and arable sectors may differ, particularly over the farming seasons. On the 31 March, Minister Prentis hosted the first meeting of the Fertiliser Roundtable with key industry bodies to discuss potential mitigations to the challenges which global supply pressures are causing. Ministers will continue to meet with key industry bodies for further fertiliser round-table sessions in the coming months, to help identify and mitigate potential risks Further support in the form of guidance from fertiliser suppliers and agricultural organisations such as National Farmers Union can be found from various public sources. Defra is aware that AHDB have published many helpful public pieces of guidance, advice and webinar recordings on mitigating high fertiliser prices. They can be found on the AHDB website. We are also seeing high costs for red diesel and we are working with the industry to identify where mitigations are available. We continue to keep the market situation under review through UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. We are increasing our engagement with industry to supplement our analysis with real time intelligence.

Fertilisers: Prices

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support farmers that face rising prices for fertiliser products.

Lord Benyon: Agricultural commodities are closely correlated to global gas prices. Farmers are facing increased input costs, including fuel and fertiliser prices. We continue to monitor the situation, including through the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group. Defra is in regular contact with key industry figures including the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and key sector representatives.The Government announced on the 30 March a number of actions to address current fertiliser issues. These included changes to statutory guidance to the Environment Agency on how they should implement the "Farming Rules for Water" to provide clarity to farmers on how they can use slurry and other manures during autumn and winter to meet agronomic needs; increased grants funding to help farmers and growers boost research and development; and a delay to changes to the use of urea by at least a year. When the urea restrictions are introduced, they will be related to the use of ammonia inhibitors rather than a complete ban.We recognise that fertiliser pressures on the livestock and arable sectors may differ, particularly over the farming seasons. On the 31, Minister Prentis hosted the first meeting of the Fertiliser Roundtable with key industry bodies to discuss potential mitigations to the challenges which global supply pressures are causing. Ministers will continue to meet with key industry bodies for further fertiliser round-table sessions in the coming months, to help identify and mitigate potential risks.

Dairy Farming

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support dairy farmers adversely affected by higher costs of (1) feed, (2) fuel, and (3) fertiliser.

Lord Benyon: Agricultural commodities are closely correlated to global gas prices. Dairy farmers are facing increased input costs, including feed, fuel and fertiliser prices. We continue to monitor the situation, including through the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group. Defra is in regular contact with key industry figures including the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and key sector representatives.The Government announced on the 30 March a number of actions to address current fertiliser issues. These included changes to statutory guidance to the Environment Agency on how they should implement the "Farming Rules for Water" to provide clarity to farmers on how they can use slurry and other manures during autumn and winter to meet agronomic needs; increased grants funding to help farmers and growers boost research and development; and a delay to changes to the use of urea by at least a year. When the urea restrictions are introduced, they will be related to the use of ammonia inhibitors rather than a complete ban.We recognise that fertiliser pressures on the livestock and arable sectors may differ, particularly over the farming seasons. On the 31 March Minister Prentis hosted the first meeting of the Fertiliser Roundtable with key industry bodies to discuss potential mitigations to the challenges which global supply pressures are causing. Ministers will continue to meet with key industry bodies for further fertiliser round-table sessions in the coming months, to help identify and mitigate potential risks.Defra is working closely with its industry-led groups and key stakeholders to monitor the position on animal feed. This includes both availability and price of animal feed ingredients for all species, including the dairy sector.

Food Supply

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have tointroduce aNational Food Security Council.

Lord Benyon: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production and imports through stable trade routes. Defra already has well established ways of working with the industry. Ministers and officials meet with the food industry, through forums such as the F4 industry group (comprising the Food and Drink Federation, British Retail Consortium, National Farmers Union and Hospitality UK), the Food Supply Chain Resilience Planning Group, the Retailer Forum and the Food Resilience Industry Forum, in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. Recognising the importance of this subject, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.

Dairy Farming

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of new environmental regulations, such as the Clean Air Strategy and Farming Rules for Water, on the future of the dairy sector in England.

Lord Benyon: Defra develops regulations with the involvement of stakeholders from the affected industry. Before the Farming Rules for Water were introduced in 2018, an impact assessment was produced and a consultation conducted to ensure the effect of the regulations on specific farming sectors, including dairy, were taken into account. The assessment concluded that overall, and for the dairy sector specifically, the benefits of actions required under the rules outweigh the associated costs. Defra has recently produced statutory guidance for the Environment Agency on how aspects of the Farming Rules for Water should be applied over the coming years. This guidance was developed in line with the original impact assessment. Representatives of the farming industry, including dairy farmer groups, were closely engaged in development of the guidance to ensure that the analysis of impacts on farming sectors was robust. Full impact assessments will also be published alongside all regulatory policies to implement the Clean Air Strategy when they are introduced.

Game: Birds

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government when theyexpect tolaunch their consultation on the welfare of game birds.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The expectation is that we will be calling for evidence later this year on gamebird welfare, including the use of cages in the sector. The intention is to then seek the views of the independent, expert Animal Welfare Committee on where improvements might be made.

Home Office

Families

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government which policies, if any, the Home Office has applied the Family Test to in the last year.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The Family Test is one of a number of impact assessments applied during the policy making process to relevant policies developed by the Home Office.For example, the Test was applied to the Police Covenant measures of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

Refugees: Ukraine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposals by the International Rescue Committee on Ukrainian refugees; and in particular, the proposal to offer visa-free access more widely than at present.

Lord Harrington of Watford: Russia’s assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated attack against a sovereign, democratic state. We stand with Ukraine.Visa waivers are not the solution to allow those fleeing the conflict to come to the UK.The UK has responded quickly and made changes to the immigration system, to support those affected by the conflict. The Ukraine Family Scheme has been set up which allows family members of British nationals, UK settled persons and certain others to come to or stay in the UK.From 15 March Ukrainians, who are eligible for the family scheme with passports have been able to apply and get permission to come to the UK, fully online, from wherever they are; and will be able to give their biometrics once in the UK.In addition, the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

Refugees: Ukraine

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what restrictions they are imposing, if any, on refugees from Ukraine who have been offered residence in the UK regarding their right to take up employment.

Lord Harrington of Watford: There are no employment restrictions on individuals from Ukraine who have been offered residence in the UK.Both the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme allow Ukrainian nationals to remain in the UK for up to three years, during which time they can work in any role within the UK Labour market.

Cabinet Office

UK Relations with EU: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their paper The Benefits of Brexit: How the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU, published on 31 January, which of the benefits identified will not apply to Northern Ireland.

Lord True: The ‘Benefits of Brexit’ paper, published on 31 January, illustrates how the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU and sets out how the Government will use new freedoms in each sector to make the UK become the best regulated economy in the world. We recognise that Northern Ireland is not able to enjoy all of the benefits of Brexit at quite the same time as the rest of the UK because of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is why we are seeking changes to it.

10 Downing Street

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord True on 6 April (HL7366), what discussions they have had with the Metropolitan Police about why releasing the number of communications between the Cabinet Office and (1) Kate Josephs, and (2) Sheffield City Council, about the party held on 17 December 2020 isnot appropriatein order to preserve the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation processes; and what steps they have taken in response.

Lord True: I refer the noble Lord to my previous answers to questions HL6920 and HL7071 of 24 March and HL7366 of 6 April.In referring to the 'confidentiality and integrity of investigation processes' my response referred not only to the Metropolitan Police processes but the internal investigation carried out by the Cabinet Office.

10 Downing Street: Megahertz Broadcast Systems

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 4 April (HL7149),what assessment they have made of theconsistency of that answer with the award of the contract for recent refurbishments to 10 Downing Street to Megahertz, a company owned by Okno-TV which is based in Moscow.

Lord True: The Cabinet Office has no contract with that company.

Environment Protection and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish environmental and greenhouse gas emission figures beside the quarterly GDP figures.

Lord True: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 7 April is attached.Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National StatisticianBaroness Bennett of Manor CastleHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW13 April 2022Dear Lady Bennett,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question asking what plans the Government have to publish environmental and greenhouse gas emission figures beside the quarterly GDP figures (HL7794).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is planning to publish a pilot publication of climate change-related statistics on the same day as the quarterly preliminary estimate of UK Gross Domestic Product [1], scheduled for 12 May 2022. Subject to assessment of impact and feedback, the intention would be for this to become a regular quarterly publication. The ONS also produces annual estimates of residence-based greenhouse gas emissions [2]. These enable direct sectoral comparison with the national accounts. Options have been under review for a quarterly estimate of this emissions measure, and an initial methodological publication is planned for May 2022. Further progress will be informed by stakeholder and user feedback.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond1 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp2 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/ukenvironmentalaccounts/2021UKSA response (pdf, 108.7KB)

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Channel Four Television: Privatisation

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the impact of the privatisation of Channel 4 on the independent production sector.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Her Majesty’s Government consulted extensively on the future ownership model of Channel 4, and the views and evidence from a wide range of interested parties – including from the independent production sector – has informed the Government’s assessment and wider policy decisions.The Government recognises that Channel 4 has consistently delivered on its remit in the decades since being established, including supporting the UK’s independent production sector. Forty years on, this sector is now flourishing. Independent production is increasingly less reliant on income from UK public service broadcasters, and will continue to be in demand for the high-quality, differentiated, distinctively British content it produces. In the 10 years between 2008 and 2018, the contribution of public service broadcaster commissions to sector revenue fell from 64% to 42%, due in large part to the growth of international revenue.Her Majesty’s Government will publish its response to the consultation shortly.

Channel Four Television and Streaming

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fundamental differences between Channel 4 and international streaming services, such as Netflix.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The increasing popularity in the UK of international media and streaming groups means that Channel 4, in common with other public service broadcasters, faces growing competition for audiences, programmes, and talent from new, global groups with greater spending power.Channel 4 and these global streamers are certainly fundamentally different. But no one can deny that the markets within Channel 4 operates have been radically changed by the arrival of such competitors, and Channel 4 will need different tools to succeed in the future.Audiences are increasingly likely to consume content on non-linear platforms such as video-on-demand services. Whilst overall daily audio-video viewing is increasing, broadcast TV’s share of total viewing fell from 74% in 2017 to 61% in 2020. At the same time, subscription video-on-demand services’ share of total video more than trebled, increasing from 6% in 2017 to 19% in 2020.Global players such as Netflix have significant financial and operational resources compared to UK public service broadcasters, and they are driving up content costs and viewer acquisition costs across the sector. This is reflected across a number of genres, including high-end dramas. Channel 4’s commissioning spending is dwarfed by Netflix, and small in the context of broadcasters. Netflix invested £9.2 billion in 2020, which included spending £779 million on original UK productions, over twice as much as Channel 4, which spent £329 million on original programming on its main channel in 2020.